Google blocked 8.3 billion ads in 2025 as Gemini AI transforms enforcement strategy

Google is now targeting bad ads over bad actors | TechCrunch

Google said Thursday it blocked a record 8.3 billion ads globally in 2025 -- up from 5.1 billion the year before. But the company suspended far fewer advertiser accounts than that surge might suggest, raising questions about how it polices its platform. The search giant attributed the disparity to its growing use of AI, particularly its Gemini models -- Google's family of AI systems -- which Google says allow it to detect and block policy-violating ads earlier and with greater precision. Its AI-driven systems caught more than 99% of such ads last year before they were shown to users, the company said. Both findings come from Google's 2025 Ads Safety Report and together reflect a broader change in enforcement. While more problematic ads are being stopped, fewer advertiser accounts are being suspended -- indicating a transition from banning bad actors outright to blocking individual ads on a case-by-case basis. Google said the rise in blocked ads also reflects the growing use of generative AI by scammers to produce deceptive content at scale, with its Gemini models helping detect patterns across large campaigns and block them earlier. The shift also mirrors a wider push by Google to integrate its Gemini models more deeply into its core products and infrastructure, including advertising, where the company is increasingly using AI to automate campaign creation, detect policy violations, and respond to emerging threats in real time. Among the blocked ads and suspended accounts, 602 million ads and 4 million advertiser accounts were linked to scams, the company said. Google removed over 1.7 billion ads and suspended 3.3 million advertiser accounts in the U.S. in 2025, with ad network abuse, misrepresentation, and sexual content among the most common violations. In India, Google's largest market by users, it blocked 483.7 million ads -- nearly double the previous year -- even as account suspensions fell to 1.7 million from 2.9 million, with trademarks, financial services, and copyright issues among the top violations. At a virtual briefing, Keerat Sharma, VP and general manager of ads privacy and safety at Google, told reporters the company has shifted toward more targeted, AI-driven enforcement "at a much more granular level, on a creative level, as opposed to using a much more blunt instrument, like advertiser suspensions." He added that the approach has helped reduce incorrect suspensions by 80% year over year. Google's layered defenses, including advertiser verification (a process that requires businesses to confirm their identity before running ads), are designed to prevent bad actors from creating accounts in the first place, Sharma said, adding that this has contributed to the decline in suspensions. The numbers, Sharma said, are likely to fluctuate over time as Google rolls out new defenses and bad actors adapt, with the company aiming to stop harmful ads as early in the pipeline as possible.

'As threats evolve, Gemini keeps our defenses one step ahead': Google claims its AI helped it block over 8.3 billion malicious ads in 2025

* Google says Gemini blocked 99% of malicious ads in 2025 * AI tools removed 8.3 billion ads, suspended 24.9 million accounts, including millions tied to scams * Gemini analyzes billions of signals to preemptively stop deceptive GenAI‑crafted ads Google has revealed its Gemini AI platform has helped the company filter out almost all malicious ads submitted to the Google Ads network in 2025. In a new blog post, Google said its Gemini-powered tools "dramatically improved" its ability to detect and stop bad ads, catching more than 99% of policy-violating ads before they were ever served. "We're continuing to evolve our defenses to stay ahead of even the most advanced schemes," Google said. Billions of signals Being arguably the biggest advertising network on the planet, Google Ads is under a constant barrage of attacks: crooks steal other people's accounts, or create new ones, then use Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) to create convincing ads that just spoof other, known businesses. These ads are then shown on the network, and different techniques are used to trick users into thinking they are visiting legitimate websites. Now, Google says it is fighting fire with fire. "This proactive approach helped us defend against bad actors. In 2025, we blocked or removed over 8.3 billion ads and suspended 24.9 million accounts, including 602 million ads and 4 million accounts associated with scams," the company said. Google Gemini now analyzes "billions of signals", including account age, behavioral cues, and campaign patterns, to identify potential threats. The company says these models are better at understanding intent, helping spot malicious content and preemptively block it, "even when it's designed to evade detection". "Bad actors are using generative AI to create deceptive ads at scale, and Gemini helps us detect and block them in real time. By the end of last year, the majority of Responsive Search Ads created in Google Ads were reviewed instantly, and harmful content was blocked at submission -- a capability we plan to bring to more ad formats this year." Google also stressed that its advertiser verification program provides an additional prevention layer. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button! And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.

Google blocked record 8.3 billion ads in 2025

Google blocked a record 8.3 billion ads globally in 2025, up from 5.1 billion in 2024, according to the company's Ads Safety Report. The increase in blocked ads contrasts with fewer advertiser account suspensions, prompting questions about the company's enforcement methods. The disparity highlights a shift in Google's enforcement strategy, focusing on blocking individual ads rather than suspending accounts. The company stated that over 99% of policy-violating ads were identified and blocked by AI before being shown to users. Google attributed the rise in blocked ads to the increased use of generative AI by scammers, alongside its Gemini models, which enhance the detection and blocking of deceptive ads across campaigns. The integration of AI has allowed Google to automate the creation of advertising campaigns and respond to emerging threats in real time. Among the blocked ads and suspended accounts, 602 million ads and 4 million advertiser accounts were linked to scams in 2025. In the U.S., Google reported removing over 1.7 billion ads while suspending 3.3 million accounts for violations including ad network abuse and misrepresentation. In India, Google's largest market, the company blocked 483.7 million ads, nearly double the prior year's figures, while suspending 1.7 million accounts, down from 2.9 million. The main violations in India involved trademarks, financial services, and copyright issues. Keerat Sharma, VP and general manager of ads privacy and safety at Google, emphasized the shift to targeted, AI-driven enforcement, stating it has led to an 80% reduction in incorrect suspensions year over year. Google has implemented layered defenses such as advertiser verification to prevent the creation of fraudulent accounts. Sharma noted that enforcement numbers may fluctuate as Google introduces new defenses and as scammers adapt, emphasizing the company's goal to intercept harmful ads as early as possible in their lifecycle.